The East End Bridge is scheduled to open in 2016.
(Photo:
Courtesy Art
)

With the first Louisville-area tolls in decades expected to begin downtown around April 2016, chamber of commerce officials in Louisville and Southern Indianaare urging officials to delay any toll collection until the bridges project is fully complete later that year.

"We're behind the bridges project 100 percent but we recognize there are members of ours who are concerned," said Wendy Dant Chesser, president and CEO of One Southern Indiana.

A recent letter to the Indiana Finance Authority from One Southern Indiana is an effort to "establish some dialogue with the decision makers so they can take into account the effects on different types of companies the tolling decision will make," Dant Chesser added.

Amid continuing public questions and concerns about the impact tolls could have on area businesses and commuters, Ohio River Bridges Project officials are expected to soon begin negotiating with a toll systems provider who'll be responsible for collecting tolls, as well purchasing and maintaining toll equipment.

"The toll system provider shall have completed its work necessary to begin tolling on the new downtown bridge and the Kennedy Bridge upon substantial completion of the first new bridge (whichever new bridge is open to traffic first)," according to the project's request for toll provider proposals.

The East End Bridge will be "substantially complete and open to traffic" in October 2016, while the new downtown bridge will be open in April 2016, according to the proposal request.

No toll booths will be used to collect cash on the Kennedy Bridge and two new bridges, including the one downtown and one connecting Utica, Ind., with Prospect, Ky. Instead, electronic tolls will be billed to those who set up pre-paid accounts or by bills mailed to the owners of vehicles whose license plates are photographed as they cross those bridges.

The board's tolling body has yet to iron out several details about tolling policies, such as the exact cost for drivers to buy toll devices and the definition of "frequent" toll bridge users who would receive discounts.

But in September, the tolling body approved initial toll rates that range from $1 to $12 per trip depending on the type of vehicle and frequency of use.

Higher rates will be charged for drivers who don't use transponders and must be tracked by their license plates.

Toll revenues beyond the tolling contract will be shared equally by both states to help meet their financial obligations to pay for the $2.34 billion bridges project.

Halt toll collection

One Southern Indiana wants state leaders to pursue toll credits for high frequency users, exemptions for public and tour buses and halt the collection of tolls until work on all three bridges project is complete, according to a letter it recently sent to the Indiana Finance Authority.

The state could recommend tolling policy changes, but it would take officials from both Kentucky and Indiana to give final approval.

One Southern Indiana also recommends:

• Classifying trucks with fewer than five axles as mid-level trucks instead of tractor-trailers to alleviate the higher tolling burden on construction and hauling companies.

• Restricting Clark Memorial Bridge lanes to southbound only during morning commutes and northbound only during afternoon commutes to help keep traffic flowing.

Dant Chesser said all are concerns One Southern Indiana has heard from its members. GLI continues working with its cross-river counterpart and a joint committee plans to meet soon to discuss other transportation aspects, Overton said.

One chamber member, for example, has multi-axle trailers that cross bridge about 1,000 times a week, meaning it would need to add more than $500,000 a year to its bottom line to make up for tolls, Dant Chesser said.

"It's complicated issue that we want to work through with our members and everyone in the community," Dant Chesser said.

Two Southern Indiana trucking company officials told tolling body members during its meeting last September that tolls will put them at a competitive disadvantage compared to Kentucky-based trucking companies because so much of their business involves carrying goods across the river.

"It means we'll have to look at how we're going to pass that cost on ... trying to stay competitive in a market that's already tight," Bart O'Leary, of Gotta Go trucking company, said.

O'Leary estimated at the time that tolls will cost his company $220,000 per year.

Indiana state Sen. Ron Grooms, of Jeffersonville, said he supports One Southern Indiana's efforts to keep the discussion on tolls open.

"I think it's certainly worthy of more discussion, primarily to ease the tensional burden on companies that have to use it frequently to move goods and services," Grooms said, emphasizing the potential loss of some companies if they decide to relocate or split operations on both sides of the river.

Amending tolling policies, Grooms said, could have a significant impact on the revenue generated and the states' abilities to pay off project debt. But Grooms said tolling remains a "very fluid" issue with a lot of decisions left to be made, such as what will be considered "frequent" users.

Chuck Wolfe, a spokesman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, said initial toll rates needed to be set last September so Kentucky could sell revenue bonds. Wolfe said the tolling body "has a great deal of latitude and flexibility as far as managing toll rates over the long course of time."

Wolfe said he wouldn't try to forecast future action of the bi-state board or tolling body, nor has he had any indications the initial rates would be changed before tolling begins.

Toll System

Once the bridges project is completed, the toll system will consist of four mainline and two ramp toll zones with the contractor operating 27 equipment lanes.

Cameras and transponder sensors will be mounted on toll gantries on the Indiana side of the river for the Kennedy Bridge and new Interstate bridge, the proposal request states.

The East End bridge will have two main sets of gantries — spanning two travel lanes and two shoulders in both directions — located on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River.

The downtown bridges, in their final configuration, will consist of the following:

• The Kennedy Bridge, carrying southbound traffic, will have one main set of toll gantries — spanning five lanes and two shoulders — and one ramp toll zone spanning one lane and two shoulders.

• The New Downtown Bridge, carrying northbound traffic, will have one main set of toll gantries spanning five lanes and two shoulders; and one set of ramp toll gantries spanning two lanes and two shoulders.

Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Will Wingfield said the project team is performing a "pass-fail test," looking at whether the six companies who submitted toll contractors proposals met the requirements specified in May.

"This is a best value evaluation with both price and technical competency being considered," Wingfield said.

Project officials will recommend a preferred contractor in mid-September.

Officials declined to release proposal amounts.

Reporter Charlie White can be reached at (812) 949-4026 or on Twitter @c_write.